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Advocare Advice for Newborns

Immunizations:

• To protect babies from whooping cough and the flu, parents and caregivers must ensure that their own vaccinations are up to date. Visit your doctor for a tetanus booster with whooping cough and influenza shot. Make sure siblings' immunizations are also current.

 Safety:

• Unless instructed otherwise by your doctor, always put your baby to sleep on his or her back.
• Never hold hot liquids while holding your baby.
• Set your water heater to the low setting at 120°F degrees. To prevent burns, always test the water before bathing your baby.
• Install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home; test and replace batteries as needed.
• Always use a car seat in the back seat, facing the rear of the car.
• Never leave baby unattended on bed, couch, or table. Babies roll when you least expect it!
• Always secure babies in strollers, rockers, and car seats.
• Make your home smoke-free. Don't expose your baby to tobacco smoke.
• Notify your pediatrician immediately if your baby has a rectal temperature over 100.4°F.

 Feeding and Growth:

• It is not necessary to sterilize bottles or boil water unless you have well water; treated municipal water is safe. If you live in an old house with old pipes, filtering your water will allow your baby to get the benefit of fluoride in the water without the lead that may come from your pipes.
• Breastfed babies need vitamin D. Use 1 ml of Tri-vi-sol a day, available over the counter.
• Feed your baby on demand. Newborns eat every 1 ½ to 3 hours. During growth spurts, breastfed babies will feed almost constantly for a day or so. This is normal!
• Infants gain one to two pounds a month and ½ to 1 inch a month for the first six months.
• Breastfed babies have frequent stools, often one each time they eat for the first few weeks. After a month or so, many slow down and have a bowel movement every two to three days. This is normal.

Schedule your baby's next weight check for age 1 month and full check-up for age 2 months.